Heart Attack

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack is a serious, potentially life-threatening event that occurs when there isn't enough blood flowing through your heart.

Your heart muscle needs a sufficient supply of oxygen-rich blood to function correctly. If anything restricts blood flow or blocks it completely, your heart can't work properly, and the muscle begins to die. There are two types of heart attacks:

STEMI

ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is the name for a heart attack where there's a complete blockage of the coronary artery.

NSTEMI

Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is a partial blockage of your coronary artery.

What symptoms does a heart attack cause?

Heart attacks typically cause chest pain that can often be severe, as well as sensations of pressure or tightness in your chest. Additional symptoms accompanying chest pain include:

• Palpitations
• Extreme fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Cold sweat
• Indigestion
• Nausea
• Numb hands

The pain might spread into your arms, neck, and back, and even into your jaw or stomach.

The symptoms women experience during a heart attack can be different from those men get. For example, women might not feel the crushing sensations in their chest, but they might have symptoms in their upper abdomen or lower chest.

What causes a heart attack?

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most likely cause of a heart attack. CAD develops when plaque — a sticky substance containing cholesterol and other substances from your blood — builds up and coats the lining of your arteries. This plaque buildup is called atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is most often the result of issues like obesity, smoking, high cholesterol, lack of exercise, and other preventable causes.

Sometimes, plaque breaks off, and blood clots can form. This creates a blockage in the artery that stops blood from getting through to your heart. The consequent oxygen starvation your heart suffers is known as ischemia.

How is a heart attack treated?

Treatments for STEMI and NSTEMI heart attacks can vary in some respects, but there are three main treatment approaches for heart attacks:

Medications

There are numerous types of medication available for treating heart attacks. Some drugs dissolve clots, some widen your blood vessels, others help to regulate your heart's rhythm.

Cardiac catheterization procedures

Treatments like angioplasty and atherectomy help widen the arteries to improve blood flow. These are nonsurgical treatments in which the Cardiovascular Wellness Center team threads a narrow tube called a catheter up to your heart along one of your arteries.

Surgery

When medications and treatments like angioplasty aren't sufficient to treat your heart attack, you might need surgery. This could involve having a device like a pacemaker fitted or undergoing bypass surgery, where your cardiologist replaces the diseased artery.

If you're worried about your heart, call Cardiovascular Wellness Center or request an appointment online today.